Individual air jets to impell balls toward a target

ABSTRACT

A game is provided which has a circular base with a floor supported thereby, the floor having a frusto-conical portion for impelling balls toward seating openings around a center post. A transparent cover is provided with a central discharge opening above the center post for discharge of balls therethrough. Air jets from exteriorly accessible flexible bulbs discharging through the seating openings are available for impelling the balls toward the discharge openings. The balls are introduced into the space between the cover and the floor so that they arrive at the seating openings in a chance arrangement.

United States Patent 1 1 Begley 1 Jan. 16, 1973 [54] INDIVIDUAL AIR JETS TO IMPELL BALLS TOWARD A TARGET [75] Inventor: Thomas J. Begley, Lansdowne, Pa.

[73] Assignee: Reed Toys Incorporated, West Conshohocken, Pa.

[22] Filed: Jan. 26, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 109,789

[52] US. Cl ..273/10l, 273/95 C, 46/44 [51] Int. Cl. ..A63b 71/02 [58] Field of Search ..273/95 C, 101, 85 H, 144 A;

[56] a g References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,385,980 10/1945 Fostos 273/144 A 2,091,883 8/1937 Rochwarg ..273/95 C 1,850,715 3/1932 Gottfried .273/95 C 2,621,042 -l2/1952 Stein ..273/95 C Primary Examiner-Anton O. Oechsle Assistant Examiner--Marvin Siskind Attorney-Zachary T. Wobensmith, 2nd

' [57] ABSTRACT A game is provided which has a circular base with a 'floor supported thereby, the floor having a frustoconical portion for impelling balls toward seating openings around a center post. A transparent cover is provided with a central discharge opening above the center post for discharge of balls therethrough. Air jets from exteriorly accessible flexible bulbs discharging through the seating openings are available for impelling the balls toward the discharge openings. The balls are introduced into the space between the cover and the floor so that they arrive at the seating openings in a chance arrangement.

6 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures PATENTEDJAH 16 I975 3. 71 l, 097

SHEET 1 BF 2 PATENTEDJAH 16 1975 SHEET 2 BF 2 THOMAS J. BEGLEY 8V INDIVIDUAL AIR JETS TO IMPELL BALLS TOWARD A TARGET BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to a game and more particularly to a game in which balls are impelled by the players from the interior of an enclosure through an opening.

2. Description of the Prior Art Games have heretofore been proposed in which air jets are utilized to impel balls, such as are shown in the US. patents to McCullough et al., No. 2,004,290, Rochwarg Nos. 1,776,196 and 2,091,883, and Span et al., No. 3,527,462.

The selective impelling of balls by airjets is shown by the Rochwarz and by other US. patents to Peterson, No. 2,959,415, Breslow et al., No. 3,474,771, Evans No. 3,297,324 and Stein et al., No. 2,621,042.

None of the prior devices of which we are aware show a game which includes a floor sloping toward the center with a plurality of openings around the center with chance distribution thereof of the balls to be impelled and a cover with a discharge opening thereabove through which each player can attempt to impell a ball identified with him by a bulb controlled air jet effective at a ball seating opening assigned to him.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with the invention a game is provided having a sloping floor with a plurality of openings around the center for chance distribution thereto of balls to be impelled and with an enclosing housing having a central discharge opening spaced above the floor through which each player by the use of a bulb controlled air jet attempts to discharge all the balls of a distinctive identification assigned to him before the other players can effect the discharge of the balls assigned to them.

It is the principal object of the invention to provide a game which-will be entertaining, have competitive elements which will make play interesting, and which can be played by persons of various ages.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a game which is simple in construction, which does not require any maintenance, and which is free from the likelihood ofoperating problems.

Other objects and advantageous features of the invention will be apparent from the description and claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The nature and characteristic features of the invention will be more readily understood from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming part thereof, in which:

FIG. 1 is a view in perspective of a game in accordance with the invention but without the balls to be used shown therein;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the game shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken approximately on the line 33 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary view, enlarged, in plan of a portion of the table; and

FIG. 5 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of FIG. 4.

It should, of course, be understood that the description and drawings herein are illustrative merely and that various modifications and changes can be made in the structure disclosed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the game in accordance with the invention includes a circular base with a rim 1] having an upper shoulder 12. The base 10 can advantageously be of synthetic plastic material.

The rim 11, below the shoulder 12 has a plurality of openings 13 therethrough, spaced around the periphery, four being employed in the specific embodiment.

The shoulder 12 serves to support a floor or platform 15, with a sloping portion 16 extending downwardly to provide a depressed central portion 17. The floor can advantageously be of synthetic plastic material.

A central post 18, forming part of an air control assembly 20 can be provided and spaced therefrom a plurality of ball seating openings 21 are provided. In the specific embodiment four openings 21 are provided, one for each offour players.

The air control assembly 20 is preferably made of synthetic plastic material, in two parts with one part 23 carrying the post 18 which extends through a central opening 24 in the floor 15, positioning pins 25 extending through the floor15 serving to orient the air control assembly 20 with respect to the seating openings 21.

The air control assembly 20 also includes another part 27 with an annular flange 28 to engage an annular flange 29 on the part 23 and with hollow semi-cylindrical portions 30 to engage with hollow semi-cylindrical portions 31 on the part 23 in fluid tight relation.

The semi-cylindrical portions 30 and 31 provide nipples 33.

The nipples 33 serve for the attachment of flexible tubing sections 34 which extend through the openings 13 in the rim 11. The tubing sections 34 at their outlet ends have flexible bulbs 35.

The nipples 33 have jet openings or orifices 36 centrally aligned with the ball seating openings 21 to provide impelling air jets upwardly through the openings 21 upon squeezing of the bulbs 35.

A circular hood or cover 32 is provided preferably of transparent synthetic plastic material with a lower marginal edge 37 resting on the peripheral portion of the floor 15 and accordingly removably supported by the shoulder 12.

The hood 32 has a lower substantially cylindrical portion 38, a converging or frusto-conical portion 39 and an upper substantially cylindrical portion 40 of predetermined diameter to provide a discharge opening 41. In a preferred embodiment, the discharge opening 41 is preferably slightly smaller in diameter than the diameter of a circle enclosing the seating openings 21 (see FIG. 2) to increase the difficulty of impelling a ball 45 through the discharge opening 41.

A plurality of balls 45 are provided, preferably relatively light in weight and these may be of the type employed in table tennis.

The balls .45 are preferably marked to identify the same for each particular player and for this purpose balls of four different colors are preferably employed. Four balls of each color have been found to make the game interesting.

In use, the game is placed on a suitable support (not shown) and positioned so that the players have convenient access to the bulbs 35.

The balls 45 are dropped through the discharge opening 41 and fall in a chance distribution onto the floor and move toward the post 18. Some of them will move to seated positions on the ball seating openings 21 but not necessarily at the opening 21 of the player who is desirous of ejecting balls 45 of the color assigned to him through the discharge opening 41.

A player finding a ball 45 of the wrong color in the seating opening 21 controlled by him will then endeavor to remove such ball from the seating opening 21 but without discharging it through the discharge opening 41, so that a ball 45 of the color assigned to him can be seated at the opening 21 and discharged.

The player who first succeeds in discharging all the balls 45 of the color assigned to him wins the round of play. The discharge of a ball 45 bearing the color of another player enures to the benefit of that player.

The game can be played with turns taken by the players or with simultaneous action by all the players.

It will thus be seen that a game has been provided with which the objects of the invention are attained.

What is claimed is:

l. A game comprising a circular base having a floor portion inclined toward the center thereof,

a plurality of sets of visually distinguishable balls,

said floor portion having a plurality of ball seating openings contiguous to said center and toward which balls are advanced by the inclination of said floor portion,

a transparent dome shaped cover carried on said base and having a portion spaced above said base with a centrally located target and discharge opening therein,

said cover in surrounding relation to said target and discharge opening having an upwardly extending rim,

said ball seating openings being visible through said cover, and

separately controlled air discharge means for supplying air to each of said seating openings for impelling balls located at said seating openings toward said target and discharge opening for discharge therethrough.

2. A game as defined in claim 1 in which' a center ball deflecting post is provided on said floor portion and said seating openings are distributed around said post.

3. A game as defined in claim 1 in which each of said air discharge means comprises a nipple,

a flexible tube connected to said nipple having an exteriorily accessible flexible bulb thereon, and said nipple has an aperture contiguous to one of said seating openings.

4. A ame as defined in claim 1 in which said ase has a shoulder on which the periphery of said floor portion is supported.

5. A game as defined in claim 1 in which said base has a shoulder in supporting relation to said cover. I

6. A game as defined in claim 1 in which said seating openings are distributed on a circle whose diameter is less than that of said discharge opening. 

1. A game comprising a circular base having a floor portion inclined toward the center thereof, a plurality of sets of visually distinguishable balls, said floor portion having a plurality of ball seating openings contiguous to said center and toward which balls are advanced by the inclination of said floor portion, a transparent dome shaped cover carried on said base and having a portion spaced above said base with a centrally located target and discharge opening therein, said cover in surrounding relation to said target and discharge opening having an upwardly extending rim, said ball seating openings being visible through said cover, and separately controlled air discharge means for supplying air to each of said seating openings for impelling balls located at said seating openings toward said target and discharge opening for discharge therethrough.
 2. A game as defined in claim 1 in which a center ball deflecting post is provided on said floor portion and said seating openings are distributed around said post.
 3. A game as defined in claim 1 in which each of said air discharge means comprises a nipple, a flexible tube connected to said nipple having an exteriorily accessible flexible bulb thereon, and said nipple has an aperture contiguous to one of said seating openings.
 4. A game as defined in claim 1 in which said base has a shoulder on which the periphery of said floor portion is supported.
 5. A game as defined in claim 1 in which said base has a shoulder in supporting relation to said cover.
 6. A game as defined in claim 1 in which said seating openings are distributed on a circle whose diameter is less than that of said discharge opening. 